Curious photographs from the past of Asian countries (21 photos)

Learning about the history and culture of another country is always a thrilling adventure. I suggest you take a virtual tour of Asia to see how people lived in the past.





A monk in the Chonyi Library, Gansu Province, China, 1928.



The monastery had a library and one of the largest printing presses in Tibet. Its collection contained thousands of wooden printing blocks with carved characters, which were used to reproduce sacred Buddhist texts.

Local residents of the highlands of Java, Indonesia, 1985.





Photographer: V. Fedortsov

Today, Java is the main and most populated island of Indonesia, located in the Greater Sunda Islands group. Java is home to 151-158 million people. Indonesia has approximately 18,000 islands.

The Soviet high-speed missile "Kometa" in Tokyo port, 1974.



Photographer: V. Yakovlev

In the summer of 1957, the first "Raketa" swept down the Volga, and the spectators on the shore froze. The vessel wasn't floating—it hovered above the water. Without the noise of a propeller, without the usual rocking motion. Its graceful hull, its submerged wings, its speed and smoothness—everything about it seemed a challenge to the ordinary. The USSR was betting on the export of hydrofoils—and it paid off. Dozens of "Raketa," "Meteor," and "Kometa" hydrofoils were sold worldwide: to Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Egypt, Vietnam, China, as well as the United States and Canada (one "Raketa" even operated in New York). These hydrofoils became the country's calling card, evoking admiration for their speed, design, and smooth ride. Unfortunately, no information was found on exports to Japan, but our technological marvels were also shown to the Japanese.

Residents of Hanoi. Vietnam, 1969.



Photographer: L. Nosov

Hardvar Heavy Electrical Equipment Plant. Soviet specialist Yu. N. Liukonen and engineer D. B. Pal observe the operation of a hydraulic turbine model. Hardwar, India, 1975.



Photographer: O. Ivanov

Soviet specialists trained their Indian colleagues as part of cooperation between the countries, particularly in developing India's industrial sector.

A bride getting dressed for her wedding. Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 1988.



Photographer: Audrius Ulozevičius

Three Friends, Beijing, 1957.



Photographer: Marc Riboud

North Korean girls sing a song about Kim Il Sung, 1950.



Kim Il Sung's personality cult began to develop in the DPRK from a very early stage. It's significant that the university opened in Pyongyang in 1946 was immediately named in his honor. In 1946–1947, portraits of Kim Il Sung were already featured at official events, alongside those of Marx, Lenin, and Stalin, while other North Korean leaders were not depicted. Today, we can see how a personality cult is taking shape in the world's leading capitalist country, where the president renames something in his honor almost monthly.

Dragnet Fishing. Thailand, 1988.



Photographer: Yan Tikhonov

A walk through the streets of Seoul, 1904.



Cable cars overlooking the Expo '70 World's Fair in Osaka, 1970.



Photographer: Vladimir Perventsev

Expo '70 was a World's Fair held in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, from March 15 to September 13, 1970. It was the first World's Fair held in Japan and Asia. Seventy-seven countries (including Japan) participated in the Fair, attracting approximately 65 million visitors. The Fair showcased the capabilities of modern technology and became a symbol of Japan's period of rapid economic growth.

Hindus perform a ritual bath in the Ganges in Haidwara, Uttar Pradesh, during the Baisakh festival, 1968.



Photographer: Yuri Abramochkin

The Ganges River, revered by Indians as sacred and known by its feminine name, Ganga, is today one of the dirtiest rivers on the planet. Originating as a crystal-clear stream in the Himalayas, it absorbs household sewage and industrial waste along its journey, turning it into toxic water. But even this doesn't stop devotees—they continue to bathe in the Ganges, perform ablutions, brush their teeth, and drink from it.

In one of the workshops of the Nam Dinh Textile Mill. Democratic Republic of Vietnam, 1972.



Photographer: D. Ukhtomsky

Beijing, 1917-1919.



Photographer: Sidney D. Gamble

India, 1956. Washing elephants in the Ganges.



Photographer: Marc Riboud

"Spiritual Connection." Hong Kong, 1968.



Photographer: Phan Ho

Lakeside cafe in Hanoi, Vietnam, 1969.



China 1917-1919



Photographer: Sidney David Gamble.

Bangkok, Thailand, 1950s.



Tropical rains in Thailand: fast, noisy, and refreshing. Half an hour after the downpour, the sun is shining, and all the water drains into the storm drains.

A mobile grocery store on a Singapore street, 1972.